1,417 Days in Rebellion: A History of the 19th Georgia Regiment

By Allan C. Payton

The Civil War is the greatest tragedy ever experienced by our nation. The repercussions of the war are still alive today, almost 160 years after the final shots were fired in April 1865. Many books have been written on the battles, the campaigns, and strategic troop movements. 1,417 Days in Rebellion: A History of the 19th Georgia Regiment provides a view of the war from one regiment.

Follow the 19th Georgia from formation and training at Big Shanty, now Kennesaw, Georgia, to the final surrender near Durham Station, North Carolina. From as far north as Sharpsburg, Maryland, to the sandy soil of north central Florida, the 19th Georgia was in every major battle fought by the Army of Northern Virginia, except Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and The Wilderness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888514818

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Preface

Acknowledgments

19th Georgia Timeline

Chapter 1: Formation and Departure

Chapter 2: Under Fire

Chapter 3: The Seven Days—the Making of a Leader

Chapter 4: Return to Manassas

Chapter 5: Lee Moves North

Chapter 6: Back to Virginia

Chapter 7: Realignment

Chapter 8: Charleston—under Siege: Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to Drink

Chapter 9: The Battle of Ocean Pond

Chapter 10: Back to Virginia Again

Chapter 11: Fort Fisher

Chapter 12: Kinston and Bentonville

Bibliography

About the Author

1,417 Days in Rebellion

A History of the 19th Georgia Regiment

Allan C. Payton

ISBN 979-8-88851-480-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-481-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Allan C. Payton

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

To the memory of the members of the 19th Georgia Infantry,

organized in June 1861,

Confederate States of America

But some of these times all of our ghosts will get together yet, some moonlight night, and march and camp and pick up arms and issue ammunition around those old Virginia roads and battle fields, just to revive once more the sentiments of those old days, which even our ghosts will love to do.

—E. Porter Alexander, Fighting for the Confederacy

Preface

The War of the Rebellion, fought more than 150 years ago, still stings for many Southerners today. The cannons still roar, and the muskets still crack because the war was fought here. Many of us can take a short drive and visit the site of a Civil War battlefield. Some can step out the back door of our homes for the same experience. All of us have stories that have been passed down through the ages about the struggles of families during this difficult time in our history.

The attacks on Southern heritage going on today are very sad and disheartening. The memory of our loved ones deserves to be embraced on both sides of the struggle, and any attempt to erase the sacrifice of one side because it is not politically correct is a travesty. The political thought of today does not fit into the political views of the nineteenth century.

The issue of politics is not the subject of this work and will not be discussed any further. My sentiment on the subject of Southern heritage is one of preservation. I think freed slave Frederick Douglass said it best in his speech to the crowd gathered at Arlington National Cemetery on Decoration Day, May 30, 1871: I say, if this war is to be forgotten, I ask, in the name of all things sacred, what shall men remember?

Until a few years ago, my concept of the War Between the States, the War of the Rebellion, the Civil War, the War of Northern Aggression, or whatever name you choose was that of a distant memory—a subject relegated to classes on US history, dusty old monuments, and certain special interest groups. It had no real relevance in my life. I knew I had relatives who had fought and died in the war, but that was about as far as it went.

I found a job that required about three hours a day in commuting time. I grew weary of the news talk shows and the noise they call music today. In my search for something else to occupy my thoughts while commuting, I stumbled across a podcast called The Civil War, (1861–1865): A History Podcast. It is produced by a couple from their home in Colorado. The two make an excellent team. For the first time, I experienced the stories of the battles and excerpts from eyewitness accounts in a whole new way.

I never knew there was so much information available if you knew where to look. I then became obsessed with the War and read every book I could find on the army of Northern Virginia. I found that two of my great-great-great-grandfathers and a great-great-great-uncle were in the famous Light Division under Ambrose Powell Hill. I also found I had a great-great-great-uncle in the 7th Georgia Infantry. He was killed on the first day of the battle of Second Manassas—Bull Run for those in the north.

I could actually track some of the movements of the regiments and positions in the battle lines. My obsession grew increasingly stronger. One of my great-great-great-grandfathers was in the 35th Georgia. There is a book written by John J. Fox called Red Clay to Richmond, and it covered the daily life and movements of the 35th in the four-year struggle.

I wanted to do the same for the 19th.

Imagine if you will a group of men from small rural towns in west central Georgia, who had probably not traveled more than ten miles or so from their homes prior to the summer of 1861. They were sent to a training camp in what is now Kennesaw, northwest of Atlanta. After a few weeks of training, they went to Lynchburg, Virginia, on the cars—what they called the train in the nineteenth century. Moving from Lynchburg to Manassas, Virginia, to Occoquan, Virginia, they then beat a retreat to Fredericksburg. From Fredericksburg, the regiment was sent to Yorktown on the James River. After Yorktown, there was Williamsburg, followed by rear guard fighting all the way back to Richmond.

From Richmond, the 19th Georgia headed back to Manassas and then to Frederick, Maryland, and to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Sharpsburg, Maryland. From Sharpsburg to Fredericksburg, the 19th Georgia was the only regiment to lose its colors. From Fredericksburg, the 19th Georgia went to Chancellorsville and then to Charleston, South Carolina, and to Lake City, Florida. The last leg of their military journey was from Florida back to Charleston, then to Petersburg, Virginia, and finally to North Carolina.

The sheer distances covered, added with their engagements in battle, create an amazing story. The following pages are not fiction. In many instances, I did have to draw my own conclusions, always basing my analysis on the research material. This is all for the 19th Georgia. Deo Vindice!

Acknowledgments

The danger in attempting to thank everyone who provided assistance in this endeavor is leaving someone out. I hope I do not forget anyone.

I first want to thank my wife, Paige, for her unending support, including countless hours of traveling to battlefields, walking the trails, getting lost on the unfinished railroad cut at Manassas, Virginia, and time spent reading and writing.

Thanks to my battlefield traveling friends Banks and Jennie Freeman. Thank you to my history-loving friends in the William Thomas Overby Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), including our late commander Mike Webb.

Dr. Keith Bohannon, University of West Georgia, an expert on Georgia troops in the war, provided invaluable assistance and content. Greg Biggs, with his knowledge and expertise on Confederate flags, was a tremendous help. Winston Skinner provided the first read-through edit. Greg C. White provided information and additional resources and a big dose of encouragement. John J. Fox, author of Red Clay to Richmond, a history of the 35th Georgia, provided guidance and assistance.

Finally, I want to thank Rich and Tracy Youngdahl, hosts of The Civil War (1861–1865): A History Podcast, for the great storylines, book recommendations, and even answering a few of my questions along the way.

19th Georgia Timeline

|-June 1861 formation at Camp McDonald, Big Shanty, Kennesaw, Georgia

|—August 1861 mustered into service in the CSA Army Lynchburg, Virginia, Camp Davis

|—-September 1861 sent to Manassas Junction, Virginia, at Camp Pickens, Under Wade Hampton

|——Sent to Camp Johnson near Occoquan, Virginia,

|—-March 8, 1862 withdrawn from Northern Virginia to Camp Bartow near Fredericksburg, Virginia

|—-April 8, 1862 camped near Ashland, Virginia

|———May 1862 marched to Yorktown, Virginia

|———May 6, 1862 Battle of Etham's Landing

|———May 18, 1862 back in camp within two miles of Richmond

|———May 31, 1862 Battle of Seven Pines

|——June 1862 19th Georgia reassigned to James Archers Brigade, A. P. Hill's Division

|——June 26, 1862 Battle of Mechanicsville, also called Battle of Beaver Dam Creek

|——June 27, 1862 Battle of Gaines' Mill

|——June 30, 1862 Battle of Glendale or Frazier's Farm

|———August 9, 1862 Battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia, also known as Slaughter Mountain

|———August 27, 1862 arrived at Manassas Junction

|———August 29 and 30, 1862 Battle of Second Manassas

|——September 1, 1862 Battle of Chantilly

|——September 4, 1862 Chantilly to Leesburg

|——September 6, 1862 crossed the Potomac into Maryland

|——September 7, 1862 bivouacked near Fredrick, Maryland

|——September 11, 1862 left Fredrick, Maryland, on march to Harpers Ferry

|——September 14, 1862 participated in the siege of Harpers Ferry stationed on Bolivar Heights

|——September 17, 1862 marched at the double-quick to Sharpsburg, Maryland. Arrived at the Antietam Battle about 4:00 p.m.

|——September 18, 1862 withdrawal from Sharpsburg, Maryland, back across the Potomac under cover of darkness

|——September 19, 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown

|——September 20, 1862 marched to Camp Bunker Hill near Winchester

|—October 1862 marched to Berryville, east of Winchester

|——November 2 and 3, 1862 Battle of Castleman's Ferry

|——November 1862 marched to Fredericksburg, Virginia

|—December 11, 1862 arrived at Thomas Yerby Estate, Belvoir

|—December 12, 1862 marched to Prospect Hill, south of Fredericksburg, near Hamilton's Crossing

|—December 13, 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg

|——April 1863 19th Georgia reassigned to Alfred Colquitt's Brigade, Robert Rodes Division

|—May 2, 1862 19th Georgia was sent on General Jackson's flanking march around Hooker's right flank, Howards Division

|—May 2, 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville

|—May 1863 19th sent to Kinston, North Carolina, at the request of D. H. Hill

|——July 9, 1863 19th Georgia ordered to Charleston, South Carolina, at Camp Johnson

|——July 16, 1863 Battle of Grimball's Landing

|——July 1863–February 1864 garrison duty at Battery Wagner and Fort Sumter

|—February 8, 1864 19th transferred from Charleston to Savannah

|—February 16, 1864 19th left Savannah for Madison, Florida, via the Florida, Atlantic, Gulf Coast Railroad

|—February 18, 1864 arrived at Olustee, Florida (approximate strength: 10 companies, 591 men)

|—February 20, 1864 Battle of Olustee

|—May 1864 took the cars back to Charleston

|—May 1864 marched back to Richmond

|—May 15, 1864 Battle of Drewery's Bluff on the James River

|—May 31, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor

|——June 1864 returned to Petersburg trenches; Hoke's Division placed under Henry Heath

|—July 30, 1864 Battle at the Crater

|—August 18–19, 1864 Battle of Globe Tavern

|—August 21–24, 1864 Battle of Weldon Railroad

|—August 24–December 20, 1864 Battle of Petersburg

——September 30, 1864 Battle of Fort Harrison

|—December 20, 1864 took the cars to Wilmington, North Carolina

|——January 15, 1865 Battle of Fort Fisher

|—January 16, 1865 retreat to Kinston, North Carolina

|—March 8, 1865 engagement at Kinston, North Carolina

|—March 19, 1865 Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina

|—March 20, 1865 retreat to Durham, North Carolina

|——April 26, 1865 surrender at Durham Station, North Carolina

Chapter 1

Formation and Departure

It was summertime in Georgia in 1861, and the only thing hotter than the weather was the heated rhetoric from Washington and Richmond. Both sides began positioning for what most thought would be short conflict. The Federal government was confident the rebellious Southerners could be contained in relatively short order while